Whistleblower - Ensign Peak Advisors

[UVACoug]

I probably have no idea what I'm talking about, but I'm thinking it might not be fair to assume that the funds in Ensign Peak are analogous to a reserve fund/endowment for future operations that are held by other institutions. My understanding is that the Church doesn't really operate like most other organizations.

For example, it's my understanding that the Church self-insures almost everything, including all the missionaries that are in service. Are part of the Ensign Peak assets meant to be a reserve for that self-insurance risk? I have no idea. Maybe they have another reserve set up in some other entity for that purpose. I would be shocked if they didn't have such a reserve somewhere though.

Another example, it is my understanding that the Church never finances any of its construction projects and requires that a construction project be fully funded before it starts. If that's true, the funding for such projects needs to be kept somewhere. The Church isn't going to pay for everything up front. Are the construction reserves included in the Ensign Peak fund or kept somewhere else? I have no idea.

I'm sure there are other quirks about how the Church operates that may explain the purported size of the fund. I don't see how anyone can jump to the conclusion that it is "obscene" given how little information anyone really has about it.

[creekster]

I agree with this essay:

https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/comme...n-b-oman-cost/

Open the books.

Agree.

[MartyFunkhouser]

I agree with this essay:

https://www.sltrib.com/opinion/comme...n-b-oman-cost/

Open the books.

Something is seriously wrong. I agree with you again.

[Jeff Lebowski]

Something is seriously wrong. I agree with you again.

[tooblue]

Agree.

Disagree. There is far too much economic inequality in the world. In the face of such a disclosure, how long would it be before members in the US start clamouring for the church to offer health insurance, or to eliminate tuition at BYU (Provo, Idaho, Hawaii), or to provide funds to any particular issue or financial problem facing members in any corner of the earth?

The moment you release the information, individuals will start to insist that they should have a say in how it is managed, not just in north America but all over the planet. Due to the uniqueness of each culture and political system within which the church operates that could be a nightmare.

And therein lies that the biggest problem with the notion of "obscenity." The church is a world wide organization. It is managing assets, building infrastructure and running programs in hundreds of different countries. But the critiques can only see the issue from a US perspective. How far does the US dollar go in Europe vs ... ? There are at least six currencies that are valued higher than the dollar. 1 billion US is not the same as 1 billion Swiss Francs.

[creekster]

The moment you release the information, individuals will start to insist that they should have a say in how it is managed, not just in north America but all of the planet, due to the uniqueness of each culture and political system within which the church operates.

You mean like they are making demands now, in light of the obscene amounts saved? I don't think the problems would be worse, although they might be different or affect different people. But some sunshine would be a good thing.

[tooblue]

You mean like they are making demands now, in light of the obscene amounts saved? I don't think the problems would be worse, although they might be different or affect different people. But some sunshine would be a good thing.

You haven't seen posts on here asking "why am I still paying tithing?" or "why am I still being assigned to clean my building?"

[Jeff Lebowski]

You mean like they are making demands now, in light of the obscene amounts saved? I don't think the problems would be worse, although they might be different or affect different people. But some sunshine would be a good thing.

Yeah, I think there would be some of the typical belly-aching at first, but it would die down over time. But this is above my pay grade.

[tooblue]

You haven't seen posts on here asking "why am I still paying tithing?" or "why am I still being assigned to clean my building?"

Comment number three at the end of the article in the Tribune reads:

I’m guessing we all know people who faithfully “pay tithing first” and then budget their house bills.There is a good principle here of giving and co-op for the health of our neighbors and society.
I’m guessing we all know people who go without healthcare who faithfully pay tithing no matter what.
Is it possible for the Ensign business arm of the church to offer health care benefit to members who maintain their good standing with the church?

[Jeff Lebowski]

Comment number three at the end of the article in the Tribune reads:

This is from the author of the essay:

Embedded Tweet

[tooblue]

This is from the author of the essay:

Embedded Tweet

I was beguiled and I did partake.

Regardless, the minute you inform people there is money, they will ask for their share of the money.

[Sullyute]

I feel better knowing that Jesus has the wheel, and it's to a Brinks truck.

That got a good laugh out of me.

[UVACoug]

Just got this in an email from the Church:

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist...hrist-finances

I found this part particularly interesting:

D. Michael Quinn, a scholar who published a 600-page history of Church finances in 2017, summed up his findings as “an enormously faith-promoting story.” He told a newspaper reporter that if Latter-day Saints could see “the larger picture,” they would “breathe a sigh of relief and see the church is not a profit-making business.”

It includes a link to purchase Quinn's book on Amazon.

[Topper]

Just got this in an email from the Church:

https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist...hrist-finances

I found this part particularly interesting:



It includes a link to purchase Quinn's book on Amazon.

I don't know if this article was shared but it does a very good analysis from a tax perspective.
https://publicsquaremag.org/editoria...nHfhOWabcHMtC0

[LVAllen]

Lmao. The whistleblower throws his twin brother under the bus and says the public dissemination wasn't authorized:

"No one has been authorized to speak for me, including my brother, Lars Nielsen. Any public disclosure of information that has been in my possession was unauthorized by me. Repeated attempts to dissuade my brother, Lars Nielsen, from making public disclosures have been ignored. I will have no further comment on this matter.”
— David A. Nielsen, to The Salt Lake Tribune late Friday, saying he did not authorize the dissemination of his complaint about Ensign Peak Advisors to the news media.